Vehicle-signal.



R. E. BOYLE.

VEHICLE S1GNAL.

APPLICATION 'HLED MAR. 16. 1914.

Patented June 8 1915.

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R. E. BOYLE.

VEHICLE SIGNAL APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16: 1914', I 1,14%Ulfi PatentedJune8, 1915.

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lUli l RAYMOND E. BOYLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-SIGNAL.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

laatoiilerl June 55, 1915..

Application filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. 825,641.

through the medium of which the driver of a vehicle may inform thedriver of a vehicle behind of the intention of the former to turn hisvehicle to the right or left. l A further object is the production of asignal of the character mentioned which will he of (tumble andeconomical construction and etlicient innse. Other objects will appearhereinafter. "With these objects in view, my invention consists in thecombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, j Figure 1"is a side elevation, partly in section, oif an automobile equipped witha signaling device embodying my invention, Fig. Q'is a front elevationof the l'JOClY of the signaling clevice, detached, Fig. 3 is a sec timetaken on substantially line of Fig. 2, li i s 2- is a section taken onsubstantially line yy oi": Fig. 3, Fig. 5 a detail section taken onsubstantially line 22 of. Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail ofone enrl of the operating element of the device. The pre l errcol formof construction illustrated in the clrzinrings comprises rectangularhousing aclaptecl, when the device is in. use, to be arranged at therear encl of the vehicle. Elaicl housing comprises a hotly screws andbolts also serve as a means fastening a license number plate 9 in poshtion, said plate being arranged upon. the front side of the bottommember i iimnediately below the body 1.

Arranged within the housing is an electric lamp 10 which serves as ameans of illumination when the device is in use. Formed in the frontWall 2 of the housing is a central circular opening 11 in which issuitably mounted a colored danger signal lens 12. Also formed in thefront wall 5; at either side of the opening 11 are rectangu lar openings13 in which are IHOUIllZQ Cl plates 14 having transparent letters 15formecl therein as shown, the letters L 1116i B being used, which areabbreviations of left anal right respectively.

Arranged immediately behiml the plates 14; are opaque slides 16 theupper and lower edges of which are slidahly mounted in gui le grooves 17formed in the housing body l as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Cooperatingwith saicl slides 16 is a helical tension spring 18 connected at itsrespective ends with said. slirlcs, said spring loeing very light anoladapted to normally hold said slides at their inner terminals ofmovement or in.

-'registration with the plates 14 soas to prevent the passage of li 'htfrom the lamp 10 through the letters 10. The outer ends-of the slides 16are enlarged, as clearly shown in Figv 4, to constitute stops whichlimit the 'whon salelblocl; is moved to the left, the

left hand slide "16 will be forceii outwardly 11ml. when said block ismovetl'to the right,

the 11a: of saicl slirles 16 will he moved onlmvardly.

Such movemexit of the bloclt 19 'is effected. by means of a flexiblewire 21 which is connected at one encl with said clock by means of a setscrew 22. The opposite end of said wire projects through a liexiloleconduit 23 to the front end oi? the vehicle, thefronterulof'saiclconrluit being seozireol in a hraizlket 24 arrange'cl'in o ose proximity to the"driveiis seat of the vehicle. Thecorresponding end of the Wire 21 is sechreihy mearis of 21 set screw 25to m T inaaoie by depressing the member 26 or pulling the same upwardly.The outer end of said" member 26 is provided with a head-27 in order tofacilitate actuation thereof as mentioned. The wire 1-11 is of course ofsuch gage as to render the same sufliciently stifi' to give thenecessarypush to block 19 upon depression of head 27, while at the same time itis suiiiciently flexible to readily pass the turns in the conduit 23.With a device of this construction, when the driver oi the vehicle uponwhich it is arrangeddesires to turn to the left or right he needs onlyto depress or pull the member "26 in order toshift the block '19. Whenthis is done the slide 16 corresponding with the side toward which thedriver wishes to turn will be moved outwardly, so as to be visible tothe driver behind. The plates 16 at the opposite sides of thede'vicewill be provided at their front sides'with letters 16corresponding to the letters 15 upon the plates 14, which letters lotwill, upon outward move- .ment of said plates, be exposed and thus serveto notify the driver behind or the contemplated action of themachinelahead. The slides 16 are of course effective only in daylightbut, with the construction set forth, the lamp 10 will be lighted atnight so that when one or the other of said slides 16 is moved outwardlythrough actuation of the member 26, the corresponding letter 15 will beilluminated and thus serve as a signal in the dark. When the member 26is released after actuation, as mentioned, the spring 18 will operate toretract the: extended plate 16, the plate 16 when in normal positionserving to exclude the light of the lamp 10 from the plates 14 and hencethe transparent lettering 15 thereof.

The bottom wall of the housing body 1 is provided with an elongatedopening 28 in which is arranged a transparent glass plate 29'whichpermits of the passage of light from lamp 10 downwardly in order toilluminate the license number upon the plate 9. The screws 30f the frontplate 2 of the housing body at the lower edge oisaid plate are soarranged and extend inwardly to, such ,an extent as to engage over theupper side of the plate 29 thereby serving to securely hold the latterin position, as clearly shown in Figs 3 and 5. then it will be seen thatthe device serves thedouble function of a signaling. device and alicense number plate holder.

WhIIoI have illustrated and described the With this arrangementpreferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect,this is capable of variation and modification without departing from thespirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not-wish to be limited to theprecise details of construction set forth, but

desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1s: 1. A device of the class described comprisprisinga housing having illuminating means 7 arranged therein, the frontside ofsaidhousing being provided with ,openings; transparent plates arrangedin" said openingsf opaque members movably mounted in said housing behindsaid plates; means for normally holding said members in registrationwith said plates, said members, when moved from registration with saidplates, being visible from without; and means for separably moving saidmembers, said means comprls ing a member movably mounted in said housingadapted, when moved in one direction, to move one of said opaque membersand, when moved in the other direction, to move the other of said opaquemembers, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a housing havingilluminating means arranged therein, the front side of said housingbeing provided. with openings through which the light from saidilluminating means is adapted to pass; opaque members movably mounted insaid housing for move ment into and out of registration with saidopenings, said members, when in registra tion with said openings,preventing the passage of light from said illuminating meanstherethrough and, when moved from registra-tion with said openings,being visible from without; means for yieldinglyholding said opaquemembers normally in registration with said openings: a reciprocatorymember mounted in said housing adapted,-

when moved in one direction, to actuate one of said opaque members, and,when moved in the other direction, to actuate the other of said opaquemembers; and a shiftably' mounted elongated flexible element connectedwith said reci rocatory member'for reciprocating the s me, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. RAYMOND E. BOYLE.

W itnesses':

JOSHUA .R. H. Porrs, B. ;;G. Rronmnos.

